NEW DELHI — Laxmi Devi, 44, left her home early on January 11 to work as a domestic helper in the neighbourhood of Govindpuri in south Delhi. She noticed a letter had been taped to the wall right outside her house. She requested her 16-year-old son Abhay to read the writing. It was an eviction notice, much to Laxmi’s horror.
In the Bangali Colony in the adjacent Tughlakabad neighbourhood of Delhi, the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) posted notices similar to the one on Laxmi’s wall in over 1000 additional homes.
The Bangali colony, which is close to the famous Tughlaqabad Fort, which was constructed in the 14th century and is largely in ruins, accommodates people who have primarily come from West Bengal and Bihar. Hindus and Muslims live side by side in the neighbourhood, which is primarily populated by those from economically and socially marginalized communities. Residents claim that up to 20,000 people will be impacted by the demolition drive.
In March 2001, an applicant by the name of S.N. Bharadwaj filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) alleging that the ASI had neglected to “protect, maintain, and preserve the historic Tughlakabad Fort.” He claimed that numerous unauthorised residents have since entered the fort grounds and built their homes with the intention of grabbing government land for residential use.
In response to the petition, the Delhi High Court asked ASI to look into the grievances in proper perspective and take necessary action. The court refused to legitimize the petitioner’s demand. However, the petitioner, dissatisfied with the manner of disposition, petitioned the Supreme Court in 2002. And the Apex court ordered the encroachment to be removed.
Authorities & land mafia nexus not held accountable
Pooja Devi, 39, another resident of the area, stated that they have been given 15 days to vacate. She claimed that the police arrived in force on January 11 and threatened them that if they did not vacate on time, they would have to pay for the rubble removal as well.
Devi has four children, three daughters and one son, all aged between 12 and 2 years. “Where am I going to take them in this cold?” she asked.
This story was originally published in twocircles.net. Read the full story here